Cultivating a Lasting Legacy: The Future is in Good Hands
“No matter where I go, I always ask, ‘Where can I find some green space?’ Nature plays a vital role in my personal and family life because it is essential to our well-being,” Grenier explains. “I strongly believe it’s important to cherish it and to build a sustainable legacy so that our children and even those seven generations from now can have the same opportunities that we have had.” Over the last decade, Grenier has held executive positions with some of Canada’s foremost nature conservation organizations. She has worked to create opportunities for Canadians to connect with nature and build a lasting legacy. As
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vice-president for national parks operations with Sépaq, she was responsible for the management and development of 27 Quebec parks and resorts. Before joining Sépaq, Grenier held senior roles with Parks Canada, where, among her achievements, she led the process to create Canada’s first national urban park in Toronto’s Rouge Valley.
climate change, Grenier believes the need for conservation has never been greater.
This fall, Grenier’s career took a new turn as she joined the Nature Conservancy of Canada as its president and CEO. Thinking about her role, she says she is most looking forward to building new relationships and cultivating Canada’s love of nature. With the increased pressures of rapid biodiversity loss and
“I am honoured to have been selected to lead a team that is shaping the future of conservation in Canada,” says Grenier. “This is such a unique opportunity to accelerate the scope and scale of conservation in our country, to connect with Canadians and to build lasting support for nature. I can’t wait to get started.”
“Canada is probably one of the wealthiest countries on Earth when it comes to our natural areas,” reflects Grenier. “Our love of nature is part of our culture, but it needs to be cultivated.”
©Waterton Park Front. AB - Photo by Karol Dabbs
Ask incoming Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) president and CEO Catherine Grenier to describe her favourite place or memory of a time in nature, and you’ll find she’s hard-pressed to answer. Not because her list is short, but rather because each day brings with it time in nature that is precious to her. A native of Quebec City, Grenier makes it a point to seek nature wherever she is and integrate it into her daily life.
